Can-flattening machine



D. H. WARD.

CAN FLATTENING MACHINE. APPLICATIDN FILED SEPf-ZO, I920- RENEWED MAY 3'I922- Patented Nov. 7, 1922.

Emma/for MMEM 'D. H. WARD. CAN FLATTENING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILEDSEPT. 20, 1920. RENEWED MAY 3. 1922.

Patented Nov. 7, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

D. H. WARD.

CAN FLATTENING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 20, 1920. RENEWED MAY 3. 1922.

1,434,417. Patented Nov. 7, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEE'I 3.

Patented New]. 7,

UNTTETE T35 DAVID HENRY \VAED, OF SEATTLE, WABEINGTQN.

CAN-FLATTENING REACT-TIME.

Application filed September 20, 1920, Serial No; 441,489. Renewed May 3,1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, DAVID H. i VARD, citi- Zen of the Dominion ofCanada, residing at Seattle, in the county oi King and State ofl/Vashington, have invented certain new and useful lmprorements in CanFlattening Machines, of which the followin is a specification.

This invention relates to a device for collapsing or flattening thesides of the sheet metal, five-gallon oil cans to enable them to be moreconveniently returned as empties for refilling.

While these containers form a considerable item of expense to shipperstheir bulk renders their transportation as return empties prohibitive.

To overcome this objection the ends of the cans are removed or intolded,and the sides are flattened together across their diagonal corners thata large number may be packed with a limited space.

As certain oils, which are conveyed in these containers, are relativelythick, and take some time to thoroughly drain from the cans, it isdesirable that the operation of cutting out the ends and flattening thecans be performed while the sides of the cans are upright.

It is to effect the flattening of these cans in a rapid and satisfactorymanner to meet these requirements that the invention which is thesubject of this application has been devised. I

The cutting of the can ends is effected in a machine which forms thesubject of Patent No. 1,321,578 granted to me on November 11, 1919, andthe machine, which is the sub ject of this application, is designed tobe cooperative with the. can end cutting ma chine referred to.

The invention is fully described following specification reference beingmade to the drawings by which it is accompanied. in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the device.

Fig. 2, a plan of the in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3, a plan on the line 3-3 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 4, an enlarged detail in elevation of the can turning mechanism.

Fig. 5, a plan of the same.

In these drawings 3 represents a runway which is produced from thatalong which the cans 2 are delivered to the machine by in the same onthe line 2-2 Serial no. 553,254.

which the ends are cut at 4:- Along this seduced runway 3 the cans 2,after cutting, are pushed by the next can delivered to the cuttingmachine. The ends ct this runway 3 are connected to a plate 6 which iscnla d. in width beyond that of the run way and is carried onlongitudinal members secured to uprights 7 of the frame of the machine.

in the middle line of this runway this plate has an aperture 8conforming to the cross section dimensions of the can, with one of itsdiagonals disposed inthe middle line. Through this aperture the cans aretree to pass downward. Secured to the plate 6 and upwardly projectingfrom it along two sides of the aper- "ure opposite the direction ofapproach is a rence 9 which is carried at 10 around one of its angles.The end of this fence where it a ses at 10 around the angle is flaredoutward from the aperture 8 toward the directi of approach of the can. I

ured to a convenient position on the r of the machine outside the runway3 d projecting forward within the path of cans on the runway is aresilient tongue which laterally diverts the cans from runway and on theside to which they are u'iovable along the outer side of the runway 3and parallel to it, This rod 12 has an upwardly turned end 13 to engagethe laterally projecting side of each can and partially rotates it onits axis, to turn it to the diagonal position of the aperture 8.

This rod 12 is normally maintained at the backward limit of its movementby a spring 14-..between a collar or pin on the rod and one of itssupporting guides The rod 12 is operated by the pin 16, which extendsbetween the conveyor chains 5 on ch pin is the engagingmember 19 which ccans along the runway to the place ot cutting and the pin 16 engagesmember 15 secured to and projecting down ward from the adjacent end ofthe pin 12.

it will be noted that the conveyor chains 5 by which the cans are movedalong the runway to the place of cutting at l are not carried beyondthat place of cutting but pass around sheaves 18 and leave the cans tobe pushed along the runway extension 3 by the next oncoming can.

This can turning rod 12 being operative by the conveyor, which deliversthe cans to diverted. see Fig. 1, a rod 12 is endwise g inseam to thediagonal position a re tl'ia't it may fall throng apeiuire to be .nitened 1n the menu it falls through the er- T d on a plate 20, which issupo on tud'nal me ibers 21 ot the frama the which members are carriedon the vei..-icalme1nbers 7. EX- tending; between the uprights 7 andupward from the plate 20 is a stationary esser plate ust hich the cansdelivered trom above through the aperture 8 are flattened by movablepresser plate 23.

This movable plate is slidable on the longitudinal members and isactuated by rods 24 from cams 25 secured on a tTZ311$V6TSG shaft 26rotatably mounted in bearings 27 secured. to the framework of themachine, and driven at a suitable speed by chain from some shafh-saythat of the cutting mechanisimvthe edges of the cams er members 28secured to the roost.

As the shaft 26 is driven from the mechanism which operates the endcutting knives the flattening of the cans is synchronous with thecutting of the can ends.

lhe movable presser plate 23 is returned from the fixed presser plate 22by a spring or springs 29 connected between the rnovable plate and theframework of the machine.

During the act of flattening the can is retained with its diagonal inthe middle line of the movement of the presser 1 pair of? rods 30 whichare pivotall nt (LL .L in middle line of the movable pi r plate. Thefree ends of these rods slidably pass through elongated apertures 1nguide members 32 secured to the ends of the flX-el presser plate 22, theouter ends of which members are turned toward the movable presser plate,and the elongation of the aperture extends around the bend. This allowsthe rods 30 to pass through and turn outward the movable presser plateapproaches the fixed plate. These rods 30 will thus conform to the sidesof the cans 2 as they are flattened by the approach of the movablepresser plate toward the fixed one;

To retain the flattened cans in the upright position against the fixedpresser plate 22, while the movable plate retires. two pairs oi: lightrods 1 are secured to the framework oi? the machine behind the u'iovablepresser plate and diagonally cross one another behind that plate andpass through transversely elongated slots 34 in the plate 23. Afterpassing through the presser plate 23,

the rods are angled slightly inward at 35,

outside the diagonal dimension of the cans and adjacent the fixed plate22 are bent sharply outward at 36 parallel to the face of the plate andare then turned at right angles to lit elongated apertures 37 in thefined presser plate outside the width of a diagonally flattened can.

Thus, as the movable presser plate 23 approaches the fixed plate 22 andcompresses an interposed can acrossthe diagonal, the outer corners ofthe can will engage the sides of the rods 33 between and 36, and theflattening continues these rods will yield slightly outward againsttheir own resilience to enable the outer corners of the flattened can topass the corners 36 of the rods, when the rods spring together and theparallel portions from 36 hold the flattened can against the fixedpresser plate 22.

The flattened cans are lifted upward from in front or the presser plate22 by sprocket chains 38 having projections 39 at the required intervalsapart to engage the lower e ges of the cans and at a higher level 40flattened cans are bundled for transmi sion for further treatment underheat to drain the residue of? oil from their surfaces.

it will be noted that throughout the conreyance to and from the machineand durt is flattening operation the upright position of the can ismaintained that the drainage of oil from it is not interrupted andprovisionwill be made to catch and convey the oil drained from it tosome con- 'ent receptacle.

'ug now particularly described my non, I hereby declare that what I asnew and desire to be protected in by Letters Patent, is:

In apparatus of the class described, meanstor flattening the body of acan, said means comprising devices for applying pressure todiametrically opposite sides of the can means for delivering cans tosaid dovices and means for maintaining the can with the axis of the cansubstantially upright.

2.111 apparatus of the class described,

means for flattening the bodv of a can of rectangular cross-section,said means comprising devlces for applying pressure to dlagonallyopposite corners of the can, means ing means with its axis upright, andwith one of its diagonals disposed in the line of applied pressure, andmeans for maintaining the can in its desired position during the act offlattening, and means for removing the flattened can.

4. Means for flattening the body of a can of rectangular cross section,said means comprising a vertically disposed stationary presser plate, amovable presser plate par allel thereto, means for delivering a can bodybetween the said presser plates with its axis substantially upright andone of its diagonals parallel to the presser plates, means for movingthe movable plate toward the fixed one, and means for removing theflattened body in an upright position from between the presser plates.

5. Means for flattening the body of a can of rectangular cross section,said means comprising a vertically disposed fixed presser plate, amovable presser plate parallel thereto means for moving the movableplate against the fixed plate, means for delivering a can body with itsaxis substantially upright to between the fixed and movable presserplates with one of its diagonals parallel to the face of the plate,means for retaining the can in the diagonal position during the flattening of it, means for retaining the flattened can in the uprightposition, and means for removing the flattened can from between thepresser plates while retaining it in the upri ht position.

6. eans for flattening the body of a can of rectangular cross section,said means comprising a runway along which the cans are conveyed withtheir axes substantially up right and their side faces parallel to theline of movement, a plate upon which the cans are delivered from therunway, which plate is apertured to permit a can to pass through it inan upright position, means for partially rotating the can to bring oneof its diagonals parallel to the line of movement, a plate parallel andbeneath the apertured plate, a fixed presser plate uprightly projectingfrom the lower receiving plate, a movable presser plate parallel to thefixed plate, means for supporting the can with one of its diagonalsparallel. to the presser plate, means for retaining the can in thatposition during the flattening movement of the movable plate, means forsupporting the flattened can in an. upright position against the fixedpress-er plate, and means for lifting the flattened can from between thepresser plates.

7. Means for flattening the body of a can of rectangular cross section,said means comprising a runway along which the cans are conveyed withtheir axes substantially up right and their side faces parallel to theline of movement, a plate upon which the cans are delivered from therunway, which plate is apertured to permit the can to pass through it inan upright position and with one diagonal of the can cross sectionparallel to the runway, a fence around the two sides of the can aperturefurther from the delivery, which fence is at one side carried round thecorner of the aperture, means for later ally diverting the can from thatside of the runway on which the fence is carried round the corner, meansfor engaging the laterally projecting portion of the leading can and forpartially rotating it to the diagonal position of the aperture wherebyit may fall through it, a plate parallel to and beneath the one throughwhich the cans are delivered, a fixed presser plate parallel to onediagonal of the can, a parallel movable presser plate, means for movingthe movable plate toward the fixed plate to flatten the can between theplates, means for maintaining the diagonal position of the can while itis being flattened, means for retaining the flattened can in the uprightposition against the fixed presser plate, means for moving the flattenedcan upward from between the presser plates.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

DAVID HENRY WARD.

